Our Causes

Homelessness is experienced for numerous reasons – reasons that may be different than most would think. Many may face homelessness because they simply just can’t afford housing. Health issues or personal circumstances that someone cannot control, such as mental illness and domestic violence also contribute to the issue. Homelessness is also exacerbated by lack of re-entry programs for prisoners, and government legislation.

In all major cities throughout America, there is a lack of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Without the availability of affordable housing, many Americans are caught in a cycle of poverty and homelessness, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Individuals find themselves facing homelessness because they cannot afford housing while working a full time 40 hour a week at a minimum wage job. This is called a housing affordability gap and it is a real challenge to millions of Americans.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition published a report showing what a person needs to make per hour in the state of Florida to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment without paying more than 30% of their income. Overall, it's recommended that Floridians should earn at least $22.86 per hour in order to afford a 1-2 bedroom apartment. As it stands, a worker who makes minimum wage would need to work 112 hours a week to afford rent in Central Florida for a two-bedroom rental home!

Those who experience domestic violence may be faced with horrible and difficult decisions: to stay with their abusers or face homelessness. "A lack of financial resources or options is the number one reason that victims of domestic violence cannot leave abusive relationships," states Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron, CEO, YWCA USA.
"Persons experiencing domestic violence, particularly women and children with limited resources, may lack access to the safe and confidential housing necessary to protect them from their abusers. Others may face discrimination while trying to obtain housing."

A person’s holistic health has an enormous impact on whether or not that person will face homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported, "People living in shelters are more than twice as likely to have a disability compared to the general population."
"The mentally ill and people addicted to alcohol or drugs are the first victims of housing shortages," as noted by Harvard Medical School. This group is at a high risk of homelessness due to their disabilities and low-income. "Once they are on the streets, their isolation becomes more serious, because lost connections are difficult to re-establish."

"It’s hard to imagine building a successful life without a place to call home, but this basic necessity is often out of reach for formerly incarcerated people. Barriers to employment, combined with explicit discrimination, have created a little-discussed housing crisis." Prison Policy Initiative provides the first estimate of homelessness among the 5 million formerly incarcerated people living in the United States, finding that formerly incarcerated people are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public”.

"With some 2.2 million adults and youth in juvenile detention facilities, prisons, and jails, the United States incarcerates many more people—and a higher percentage of our population—than any other nation in the world," according to Robert Wood Johnson Facility. Spending time in the prison system does not necessarily cause homelessness, but Prison Policy Initiative reports that rates of homelessness are especially increasing among those who have been incarcerated or recently released from prison. "If people don’t have stable housing when they get out, they’re much more likely to go back," said Steve Berg, vice president for programs and policy at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a research and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. "Housing is the key to understanding the recidivism puzzle." (Pew Charitable Trusts)

Homeless has many interrelated causes, most of which are not necessarily apparent to the general public. By becoming aware of the causes of homelessness, we can begin to remedy the issue. A1 Opportunities based in Hillsborough County, Florida is dedicated to not only solving homelessness in our community, but we also invite you to join us in the fight. In order to tackle the obstacle at hand, and to really make a difference in our world, there are several approaches that need be considered in order to create a successful resolution.

A unique case by case approach is imperative in evaluating and implementing a case plan based on each individual situation. People do not always need a uniformed approach even if it "works for the majority." Everyone has different needs in order to be successful depending on their situation and life experiences. A1 Opportunities strives to help those who have the will and the want to change their circumstances by offering essentials of daily living that most can easily take for granted.